Chapter 24 #2
Holding her gaze, my voice shifts to something serious.
“I want to be completely honest with you, Meera,” I begin.
“Yes, I have a past. A history with women I am not proud of. But none of them ever mattered. Not even a bit. Because the moment you walked into my life… everything before you became irrelevant. You changed the entire damn equation. You are the only woman who affects me. The only one who can make me jealous, sane, insane, furious, gentle… everything I never thought I could be.” I tighten my hold on her hand.
“You’re it, sweetheart. The beginning and the end. All of it.”
“You really do know how to make my heart forget how to function.” She gives me a wobbly smile and a few silent tears slide down her cheeks.
“And you know exactly how to make mine beat,” I murmur back, lifting her hand and brushing my lips over her fingers again, watching her with an intensity I don’t bother hiding.
Now all that’s left is getting her to say those three damn words. I love you. Words I am dying to hear from her. Words I want carved into my soul.
???
“I hate being sick,” Meera grumbles as she tries to sit up, only to sink back against the headboard with a frustrated sigh.
Since we came home from dinner last night, she’s been complaining of a headache.
I spent the whole night taking care of her, rubbing balm over her forehead, making her coffee just the way she likes it, and massaging her temples, until her breathing softened and she finally drifted off.
And somewhere between watching her relax and making sure she stayed comfortable, sleep caught me by surprise.
I woke up this morning to realise I’d spent the entire night sitting on the floor, her hand locked in mine while she slept on the bed.
And damn, I don’t know how to explain it, but that simple thing made me feel so peaceful.
“I am calling the doctor,” I sit at the edge of the bed and hold out her morning tea.
“It’s just migraine. I am used to this. It’ll pass. You don’t need to call a doctor for it,” she mutters stubbornly, her fingers brushing mine as she takes the cup.
I level her with a look. “Sweetheart, I am calling the doctor.”
“Dev… I said I am fine.”
“And I said I am not taking any chances,” I counter, shifting closer as my hand automatically rises to her forehead, brushing her hair back. “You barely slept, and you look like you might pass out any second. That’s not fine.”
She sighs, trying to look irritated, but her eyes soften. “You worry too much. You just… overreact.”
“If taking care of you counts as overreacting, then you’ll just have to get used to it.”
She exhales, fighting a smile. Even with sleep-rumpled hair, tired eyes, and drowning in my sweatshirt, she’s still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. I would fuss over every little thing a thousand times over just to make sure she’s okay.
“We should make a bet,” she says with a tiny smile as she sips her tea. “If the doctor says there’s nothing to worry about and you’re just being paranoid, then you have to cook breakfast for me. And you’re not allowed to take help from anyone in the house.”
I arch a brow. “What do I get if I win?”
She taps her cup lightly. “If you win… I’ll do whatever you say for the entire day. No complaints, no arguments.”
“You’re making a dangerous bet, wifey. I could ask for anything.”
She freezes for a heartbeat, her eyes widening slightly. Then a blush spreads across her cheeks. I gently cup her face, letting my thumb glide along her cheek. My gaze drops to her lips for a second, then lifts back to her eyes.
“Tell me, if I win… you’ll follow through. And you won’t deny me what I want.” I say, and the blush on her cheeks deepens as she swallows hard. But before she can reply, there’s a knock on the door.
“Meera? You awake?”
I groan and pull back, glaring towards the door. “Your fucking friend has no peace.”
“Dev… he’s my friend.”
“I don’t care,” I say, unapologetically. “I still hate him and only tolerate him for you.”
She lets out a long, helpless sigh, rubbing her temple like she’s not sure whether to argue or let it go. “Dev…”
“Fine,” I grumble, pushing up from the bed and walking towards the door.
The second I yank it open, the frustration in my chest snaps loose.
“What’s your problem, knocking on a married couple’s room first thing in the morning? We could’ve been busy.”
Samarth scoffs. “Yeah, right.”
He then brushes past me and heads straight towards Meera.
“Meera, are you okay?” he asks when he sees how pale she looks.
“Just the usual… headache,” she replies weakly.
“I’ll get your medication,” he says softly.
I step forward and tap his shoulder. “You don’t have to stress. Her husband is here to take care of her.”
His jaw ticks. “And I am her best friend. I’ll show up every time she needs me. Husband or not.”
I cross my arms over my chest, my expression hardening to make my point. “And I am telling you she doesn’t need you to. I’ve got her.”
Meera groans. “Both of you, don’t start again.”
I don’t look at her. My eyes stay locked on him. “I am not starting anything with him. But I am definitely not ending my hatred towards him.”
His lip curls. “Good. Because it’s mutual. I’d hate to be the only one carrying the weight of my hate. One-sided grudges feel pathetic.”
For a second, neither of us blinks, almost daring the other to take the first swing.
“Guys… please.” Meera’s voice comes out tired, exhausted by both of us.
Samarth’s eyes flick back to her. “I am sorry, Meera. I don’t want to make your headache worse.”
“Good. Then stop adding to it and just leave,” I say.
He ignores me completely and continues speaking to her.
“I just came to say I am leaving. I can see that whatever fear I came with… it isn’t there anymore.”
Finally, music to my ears. For the first time, he actually said something that doesn’t make me want to strangle him.
Meera gives a small smile and nods. He offers a hesitant smile in return before turning to leave, closing the door behind him.
Once alone, I flop down next to her and take her hands in mine, my eyes locked on her as a maddening thought gnaws at me.
“Dev… what’s wrong?” she asks softly, her fingers brushing against mine as she senses the sudden shift.
“I can’t help but wonder… if you were not forced to marry me then…” I pause, my throat tightening. “… you would have married him.”
Her brows knit together. “Samarth?”
I nod. “He’s… a good man. Perfect in every way. And me… I am not. My business, my life… everything about me is complicated.”
She squeezes my hands gently. “Dev… yes, I hate some of the things you do. I hate your rage. I hate your stubbornness. But more than the things I hate… I see the part of you that overshadows everything else. The part that loves fiercely, that protects, that cares. That part of you is what makes me stay. I feel for you too much to care about the rest.”
Her words pierce straight through me.
She cups my face in her hands, offering that small, tender smile I’ve grown helplessly addicted to, before she continues, “And it’s not about having the perfect man.
It’s about having the one who makes you happy.
” She runs her thumb gently along my cheek, her touch soft.
“Dev… I am happy with you. Even when you piss me off, even when I want to throw a pillow at you, I am still happy. Because you’re you. And nothing else matters.”
I close my eyes briefly, letting the tension in my body dissolve just a fraction.
“You make it sound so easy,” I murmur, the vulnerability in my voice laid bare in front of her.
She drops her head onto my shoulder with a quiet sigh, her fingers curling into my shirt. “It’s not easy…” she whispers, her voice soft but certain. “But with you… it feels worth it.”
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer. “I promise… I’ll try. For you. I’ll try to be someone worthy of what you give me every single day.” My lips brush against her hair as I breath out. “Because losing you is not something I could ever survive.”
Closing my eyes, I rest my chin on her head. I can’t walk away from my work. It’s a part of who I am. But she’ll never bear the weight of it. My business will stay locked away, far from her. I’ll make damn sure she never regrets choosing me. My love will drown out every darkness that I carry.